The present invention relates to a cap for beverage cans, and more particularly to a beverage can cap that will have a decorative and/or promotional use, and also for inhibiting dirt, dust and debris from collecting on the top of the can during storage and inhibiting access to the can, once opened, by insects or debris, and which is adapted to be used as a novelty item in a number of ways.
As is well known, beverages such as beer, soda, iced teas, juices and the like are regularly dispensed in poptop cans made from aluminum and/or similar materials. Access to the container is achieved by a top adapted to be punctured by a tab affixed to the top. Sometimes, only part of the contents are served at one time and it is desirable to protect the remaining contents in the can. Unfortunately, conventional cans provide no mechanism to close the opening once it is established. Accordingly, opened cans are prone to a variety of problems, including loss of carbonation, spillage, and access by insects or debris. Conventional cans also provide no mechanism for inhibiting dirt, dust and debris from collecting on the top of the can during storage so as to promote a clean area surrounding the can opening.
As a result of these deficiencies, a number of various caps have been proposed to contain and/or preserve the contents of a beverage can and/or to keep the top of the can clean during storage. Although some of these existing caps may function adequately well for certain limited purposes, none is believed to be fully satisfactory.
A number of reusable beverage can enclosures have been proposed which are designed to seal the top of a beverage can in an airtight manner after it has been opened in order to inhibit a carbonated beverage contained therein from losing its carbonation. Examples of such enclosures can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,221,020, 5,346,088 and 5,452,818. However, while such enclosures may provide adequate where the object is to inhibit a beverage from losing its carbonation, when one is not concerned with such a loss of carbonation, such enclosures are highly inefficient. This is the case because in order to create an air-tight seal, the enclosures must have a relatively complex design and must be formed from heavy gauge materials in order to tightly engage the outer rim of the beverage can to create an air-tight seal even under pressure created by the carbonated beverage. If one is not concerned with inhibiting the loss of carbonation, a simpler design using lighter weight materials would be far more desirable.
Other beverage can enclosures have been proposed which are designed to have two portions, one which permanently attaches to the beverage can itself and the other which comprises a cover portion connected thereto by a hinged connection such that the cover portion can be flipped open and be reclosed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,139,163 and 5,273,176 disclose such reclosable beverage can enclosures. While such enclosures are not necessarily concerned with inhibiting a loss of carbonation, these enclosures suffer from disadvantages similar to those enclosures which are so concerned. This is true because the portions of such reclosable enclosures which are permanently attached to the can must be designed, like those enclosures designed to inhibit loss of carbonation, to securely engage the outer rim of the beverage can. As such, these reclosable enclosures also disadvantageously must have a relatively complex design and must be formed from heavy gauge materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,497 discloses a protective removable cover for beverage containers. The cover comprises a piece of sheet material covering at least a major portion of the top of the beverage container which includes an adhesive strip surrounding the periphery of the sheet material. Before the beverage container is opened, the protective cover is peeled off. However, a major disadvantage of this type of cover is that it is designed only to protect the top of the beverage container until the container is opened, and once the protective cover has been removed, it is not replaceable to protect the opened container from access by insects or debris.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,832 discloses a cover for a beverage can which is sized and shaped to tightly engage the inner surface of the rim of the beverage can (see FIGS. 15-20 thereof). This design, however, suffers from a number of disadvantages of its own. In order to achieve proper retention on the top of the can, relatively tight tolerances must be maintained, which may greatly increase the cost of production. In addition, the precise dimensions of the inner surface of the can""s rim may vary from one manufacturer to another. As such, the cover may not be usable with cans produced by substantially all manufacturers. Moreover, even if tight tolerances are maintained and even if the covers are used with appropriate cans, the cover may not be securely maintained on the can, and may easily fall off prematurely.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,137 discloses a similar beverage can cover which additionally includes two diagonally arranged, backwardly slanting, opposing fixing flaps which are designed such that when the cover is pressed down towards the can top, the flaps are bent in the direction of the front face of the cover, whereby the fixing flaps come into engagement between the top surface of the can and the pull tab of the can. However, as best seen in FIG. 2 of the ""137 patent, the flexible flaps are retained only under a small portion of the pull tab of the can. As such, the cover may not be securely maintained on the can, and may easily fall off prematurely. Also, once the cover is removed, it may be difficult for the user to reinstall the cover on the can.
In addition to the individual disadvantages discussed above with respect to each of the known beverage container caps, all of them suffer from at least one additional common disadvantage. With respect to the reusable container caps, while they may be used over and over as container caps, they serve substantially no other purpose. With respect to the single use container caps, once they are removed from the container, the are essentially useless. It would be far more desirable and less wasteful in some cases if the beverage container caps were adapted to be used as a novelty item, such as a promotional piece, decorative cover, toy or safety device, in some way.
What is desired, therefore, is a beverage can cap which inhibits dirt, dust and debris from collecting on the top of the can during storage and inhibits access to the can, once opened, by insects or debris, which is easily and inexpensively printable and able to be decorated in full color printing if desired, which may be formed from lightweight materials, is relatively simple in design, and thus relatively inexpensive to produce, which does not require that relatively tight tolerances be maintained, which is usable with cans produced by substantially all manufacturers, which is securely maintained on the can and does not easily fall off prematurely, which is easily replaceable after initial removal, and which is adapted to be used as a novelty item in some way.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage can cap which inhibits dirt, dust and debris from collecting on the top of the can during storage and inhibits access to the can, once opened, by insects or debris.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage can cap having the above characteristics and which may be formed from lightweight materials, is relatively simple in design, and thus relatively inexpensive to produce.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a beverage can cap having the above characteristics and which does not require that relatively tight tolerances be maintained.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage can cap having the above characteristics and which is usable with cans produced by substantially all manufacturers.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a beverage can cap having the above characteristics and which is securely maintained on the can and does not easily fall off prematurely.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage can cap having the above characteristics and which is easily replaceable after initial removal.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage can cap having the above characteristics and which is adapted to be used as a novelty item in at least one, and preferably many, ways.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a beverage can cap having the above characteristics and which is easily manufactured and easily printed in bright decorative colors, and/or printed with promotional logos.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage can cap having the above characteristics and which when applied to the top of the can, will be so shaped that it does not interfere with the stackability of the can when such cans are stacked on top of each other.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by provision of a beverage can cap for attachment to a beverage can having a top wall surrounded by a peripheral and circular lip and a tab opener attached to the top wall. The beverage can cap includes an upper layer sized and shaped to fit within the peripheral and circular lip of the beverage can, the upper layer having a substantially circular periphery, and a lower layer having an arc-shaped outer periphery which corresponds to a portion of the substantially circular periphery of the upper layer. A pocket is defined by the upper layer and the lower layer, which pocket is adapted to receive the tab opener of the beverage can when the beverage can cap is installed on the can and the lower layer is disposed between the tab opener and the top wall of the beverage can.
In one embodiment, the periphery of the lower layer is bonded to the periphery of the upper layer along a continuous seal which passes through at least 180 continuous degrees of the circle defined by the substantially circular periphery of the upper layer. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the lower layer is sized and shaped so as to cover at least half of, and possibly up to approximately three-quarters of, the circle defined by the substantially circular periphery of the upper layer. Most preferably, the lower layer is semi-circular in shape
In another embodiment, an intermediate layer is sandwiched between the upper layer and the lower layer, the intermediate layer being provided with stamped weakened portions which are adapted to be manipulated by a user to create at least one mechanism for adapting the beverage can cap to be used as a novelty item. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the upper layer and the intermediate layer are continuously sealed about their respective peripheries so as to trap a pocket of air therebetween. The at least one mechanism for adapting the beverage can cap to be used as a novelty item may comprises a pencil slot such that the beverage can cap may be used as a decorative pencil topper, a zipper pull attachment mechanism, a shoelace attachment mechanism, a button hole, or combinations of these. Most preferably, the lower layer is removable so as not to interfere with use of the at least one mechanism.
Preferably, each of the layers are formed from vinyl or other thermoplastic sheet material, and the upper layer and the intermediate layer (if provided) are formed to have a domed or slightly raised configuration. It is preferable if the upper layer is formed from a material which is reflective, glow-in-the-dark, lenticular, has glittering properties, or has combinations thereof. It is also preferable that the upper layer has lettering and/or graphics printed thereon. A pressure sensitive adhesive layer may be applied to the lower layer with a removable backing layer covering the pressure sensitive adhesive layer.
The invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings.